Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells and fuel cell stacks comprising the same

Abstract

Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells are provided. The spliced bipolar plate includes a supporting plate and a splice plate. The supporting plate has three inlet openings and three outlet openings formed thereon. A plurality of coolant flow channels are provided on one side of the supporting plate, while a recess of a uniform thickness is provided on the opposite side of the supporting plate. One side of the recess is opened to a transverse or a longitudinal side of the supporting plate. The splice plate is divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate. The size of the reaction zone part is substantially the same as the volume of the recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the recess, connecting the splice plate to the supporting plate. The extended part of the splice plate is projected beyond the supporting plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A spliced bipolar plate of a fuel cell, comprising:
 a supporting plate comprising:
 a fuel inlet opening, an oxidant outlet opening, and a coolant outlet opening that are formed along a first end of the supporting plate; 
 a fuel outlet opening, an oxidant inlet opening, and a coolant inlet opening that are formed along a second end of the supporting plate facing the first end; 
 a first recess of a substantially uniform first depth formed on a first side of the supporting plate, wherein the first recess includes a plurality of downwardly recessed coolant flow channels; and 
 a second recess of a substantially uniform second depth, the second recess dimensioned substantially the same as the first recess formed on a corresponding portion of a second side of the supporting plate opposite to the first side, 
 wherein one side of each of the first and the second recesses is completely opened to a transverse side or a longitudinal side of the supporting plate; 
 
 a first splice plate partially disposed on the first side of the supporting plate so as to be divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate,
 wherein the reaction zone part is sized to be substantially the same as a volume of the first recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the first recess to connect the first splice plate with the first side of the supporting plate, and 
 wherein the extended part is projected beyond the supporting plate; and 
 
 a second splice plate partially disposed on the second side of the supporting plate so as to be divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate,
 wherein the reaction zone part is sized to be substantially the same as a volume of the second recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the second recess to connect the second splice plate with the second side of the supporting plate, and 
 wherein the extended part is projected beyond the supporting plate, 
 
 wherein the extended part of the first splice plate and the extended part of the second splice plate each respectively comprises an electrically conductive connector, and wherein the spliced bipolar plate of the fuel cell is configured to electrically couple to one or more other spliced bipolar plates of the fuel cell via the electrically conductive connectors of the extended part of the first splice plate and the extended part of the second splice plate to form a serial electrical connection, a parallel electrical connection, or a combination thereof, between the spliced bipolar plate and the one or more other spliced bipolar plates of the fuel cell, and wherein each of the first and second recesses is connected to the fuel inlet and outlet openings or the oxidant inlet and outlet openings, respectively, by a reactant flow channel having a depth less than the respective first or second depth. 
 
     
     
       2. The spliced bipolar plate of a fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the one side of each of the first and the second recesses is completely opened to the transverse side of the supporting plate, and wherein the reactant flow channel is connected to a plurality of gas reaction channels on each of the first and the second splice plates. 
     
     
       3. The spliced bipolar plate of a fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first splice plate is connected to the first side of the supporting plate by adhesive bonding or injection molding, and wherein the second splice plate is connected to the second side of the supporting plate by adhesive bonding or injection molding. 
     
     
       4. The spliced bipolar plate of a fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second splices plates are made of electrically conductive materials including metals, carbon plates, or conductive composites. 
     
     
       5. The spliced bipolar plate of a fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the supporting plate is made of electrically non-conductive materials including PC or ABS.